1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner for use in both an upright form and a canister form, where the vacuum cleaner is configured to separate a cleaner body having a dust separating unit and a suction motor from a supporting unit during use in the canister form.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an upright vacuum cleaner forcibly draws in dust or dirt along with air from the outside by a suction force generated within a cleaner body, so that it cleans a surface to be cleaned, such as a floor, a carpet, or the like.
Such an upright vacuum cleaner is provided with a cleaner body, and a suction nozzle assembly installed under the cleaner body to be movable along the surface to be cleaned. In addition, the cleaner body includes a dust separating unit to collect the dust or dirt drawn in from the surface to be cleaned and a motor chamber in which a suction motor is installed. The suction motor is disposed on a lower side of the dust separating unit. The upright vacuum cleaner is usually used in cleaning a relatively wide cleaning area, such as the floor or the carpet.
However, the conventional upright vacuum cleaner is configured, so that the cleaner body and the suction nozzle assembly are hingedly connected with each other so not to separate from each other. Accordingly, if the vacuum cleaner cleans a relatively narrow cleaning area, such as a stairway or a break, beside the relatively wide cleaning area, such as the floor, it is not only difficult to move, but also to carry out an cleaning operation due to its weight. Also, to clean a narrow cleaning area or a portion having a protrusion on a floor, a user must purchase a separate subsidiary brush or accessory therefor, or separately purchase a canister vacuum cleaner, thereby causing her or him to have an economic burden.
To address the problems as described above, the present applicant has proposed an upright vacuum cleaner having a locking part, which can separate both side surfaces of the cleaner body from a supporting member hingedly joined to the suction nozzle assembly, as disclosed in Korean patent No. 474083. In this upright vacuum cleaner, the locking part is provided with a button operating part elastically supported to a handle part of the cleaner body, a joining protrusion integrally formed on the button operating part, and a joining protrusion groove formed on the supporting member. Accordingly, to separate both side surfaces of the cleaner body from the supporting member, the user pushes the button operating part so that the joining protrusion of the button operating part is released from the joining protrusion groove of the supporting member. As a result, the cleaner body can be separated from the supporting member.
However, the conventional separate type upright vacuum cleaner as described above is configured, so that the both side surfaces of the cleaner body is mounted on or separated from the supporting member in the form of an arch larger than an outer circumference of the cleaner body. Thus, the conventional vacuum cleaner is disadvantageous in that it is not only difficult to attach various accessories, such as an extended hose, etc., on the cleaner body, but also increases in size.